The View | Italy’s Del Vecchio and Trump: The perfect contrast on how dealmakers go about their business

It is not often that history presents a neat compare and contrast opportunity but serendipity dealt its hand last week with the completion of continental Europe’s biggest ever merger, valued at some €50 billion. A couple of days later this was followed by another dealmaker being inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States.

It is undeniable that Donald Trump, who boosts endlessly about his deal making skills, is better known than Leonardo Del Vecchio, Italy’s richest man, who shuns publicity.

Last week Del Vecchio finalised a merger joining Luxottica, his eyeglass frame making company, with France’s Essilor, the world’s largest lens manufacturer. The combined company will have 140,000 employees in 150 countries and will dominate the global eyewear and visual health market.

Luxottica hardly has global name recognition in the manner of all things Trump but it’s a fair bet that you will be familiar with some of Luxottica’s brands such as Ray-Ban and Sunglass Hut.

Del Vecchio’s son, incidentally, owns Brooks Brothers, so despite their low profile the Del Vecchio family clearly is a big player in the world of luxury brands. However they focus on the success of its businesses, as opposed to the family behind them. Compare this with the attitude of America’s Egoist-in-Chief, and draw your own conclusion.

So, what other comparisons are telling? First and foremost the massive European merger tells us something about the art of the deal, something that Trump ‘modestly’ says he does better than anyone else.